Patriarch Youssef
The Geneva 2 Conference
Prot. 17/2014R
Rabweh, 17/01/2014
To the Reverend Sheikhs, Muftis, Ulema
And Heads of Islamic Religious Centres
Cordial greetings, with my affection, prayer, distinguished consideration and great esteem.
Very soon now there will be taking place the Geneva 2 Conference for peace in Syria, which is languishing under the burden of the destructive, bloody, deadly crisis that is now beginning its fourth year.
Dear friends!
I am writing this letter from the World Council of Churches’ Geneva Ecumenical Centre. Together with a number of patriarchs, bishops, clerics and lay-persons of various Christian Churches, I was invited to the WCC Ecumenical Consultation on Syria to address a clear, humane and Christian appeal to the whole world, especially to the participants and countries who will be taking part in the Geneva 2 Conference, in order to promote the success of this conference, and to put an end to the chain of violence, killing and destruction and re-establish peace in beloved Syria. We are persuaded that the solution of this bloody, tragic, destructive conflict will have a great, historic impact on the future of our Arab region, our Arab countries and their unity, peace, stability and development.
Inspired by this meeting in Geneva, I am acting on my own initiative in launching this personal appeal to my beloved brothers, the Sheikhs, Muftis, Ulema and heads of Islamic faith centres, inviting them to take an initiative similar to that of the WCC by sending, collectively or individually, letters and appeals based on religious teachings and guidance from the verses of the venerable Qur’an, for the success of Geneva 2. Its success would be a source of benefit, blessing, security and peace for all our blessed Arab countries and for the whole world too, beginning from our Arab world, which is the cradle of religions and civilizations.
Dear reverend friends!
Our solidarity, as Christian and Muslim religious leaders, in launching this spiritual appeal based on the convictions of our holy faith, at this singularly historic juncture in our lives, will have a great impact on those taking part in Geneva 2 and on the citizens of our Arab countries, and will be a call to hope and calmness in the hearts of all, helping to rebuild trust and love among citizens and set aside the resentments associated with faith riots, and the enmity and hatred that have hitherto, unfortunately, been on the rise among the children of the same country.
I am hopeful that this appeal that I am sending to you with great affection, via the media and other means of communication, will elicit a favourable response! So, through this Christian appeal from Geneva and through Muslim appeals from Arab countries, we shall set a shining Muslim-Christian interfaith example to our fellow-citizens and help realise this great gift for our countries, the gift of peace. Peace is one of God’s names in Islam. Peace is the programme of the angelic hymn on the day of the Christmas feast that we have recently been celebrating. I end my letter with this hymn: “Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth! Good will towards men!" We are keen to heed Jesus’ Beatitude addressed to workers for peace: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
With my affection and great regard
+ Gregorios
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Of Alexandria and Jerusalem
Prot. 15/2014C
Cairo, 14/01/2014
Call to pray for Syria on the eve of the Geneva 2 Conference
The Geneva 2 Conference will be held on 22 January 2014. As president of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs in Syria, I address this appeal to my colleagues and beloved bishops, all our children, priests, monks, nuns, faithful, confraternities, youth movements, families, young people and children…
This is a call for the celebration of daily prayers in churches, homes, pastoral meetings… for the success of the Geneva 2 Conference, for peace in dear Syria and for the cessation of all acts of violence, destruction and war.
We join our voice to that of His Holiness Pope Francis, who called, in his address to the diplomatic corps on 13 of this month, for the success of the Geneva 2 Conference and for it to "mark the beginning of the desired peace process."
Jesus our Lord is Prince of peace. He told us: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you… Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid!" (John 14: 27) We implore him to hear our prayers, respond to our cries of distress and the suffering of the victims, and grant us the great gift of peace! We beg him to inspire the countries and their representatives who are about to meet in Geneva with the wherewithal for peace, security and a better future for Syrians.
We raise our prayer to our Mother, the Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, whom we venerate in our many sanctuaries, churches, prayers and hymns, for her to intercede for the miracle of peace, a special miracle from her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of peace.
I hope this appeal will be published in all eparchies and parishes even outside Syria! Let there be a global prayer campaign for peace in Syria, the Holy Land, the Arab world and the whole world.
God of Peace, grant peace to our country!
With my affection and blessing
+Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Of Alexandria and Jerusalem
Prot. 16/2014C
Cairo, 14/01/2014
From His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III
On the eve of the Geneva 2 Conference
On the occasion of the holding of the Geneva 2 Conference for peace in Syria, as president of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs in Syria, I have just written a prayer appeal for that Conference’s success.
Now I should like to express my good wishes for the success of that Conference, together with the following considerations.
1- Prayers will be raised in every home in Syria for the success of the Geneva 2 Conference, for the peace that comes from Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace. Peace is one of God’s names in the Qur’an. Peace is the programme of the Christmas Feast for all humanity: “Glory to God in the highest! On earth peace, good will towards men!” That could really be a good programme for Geneva 2.
2- We pray for genuine reconciliation among all Syrians at Geneva 2, not only for security arrangements and much needed humanitarian aid, but also for a much needed human, cordial, national, really Syrian reconciliation of faith, which is crucial to the success of Geneva 2.
3- We pray for a united stance at Geneva 2 from the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the European Union, (especially France, Great Britain and Germany) and China and Iran! This western and eastern unity is the warranty for the success of Geneva 2.
4- Such unity will be capable of engendering the Arab unity that is so necessary for Geneva 2’s success! We pray for this unity.
5- This dual international and Arab unity is the warranty for the success of Geneva 2 and is the real way to halt the influx of weapons to the armed foreign groups in Syria and to the whole region. Seeking for peace rules out sending weapons, for peace has no need of weapons.
6- We long and pray for the peace to be Syrian, though we are grateful to all those countries who are working for that Syrian peace! Their efforts should be concentrated on obtaining a peace that is really Syrian, for that would be true peace and the best and most suitable for all parties to the conflict and for all Syrians.
7- So the whole of Syria will become a church or sanctuary, with hands uplifted in prayer. This prayer is for all Syrians; praying for all those who are struggling, whatever their political orientation, inclination or adhesion! We are praying for everyone, so that everyone can make ready the way for Geneva 2’s success.
8- Yesterday (13 January) a meeting for the success of this Conference was held at the Vatican.
9- At the initiative of the World Council of Churches, a meeting will be held in Geneva (15-17 January 2014). Together with very many representatives of various Churches from around the world, I shall be taking part. We shall be discussing ideas about the role of the Church at this particular moment in history that is so significant, not only for Syria and the surrounding region, especially Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, the Holy Land, Palestine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict… but for the whole Middle East and for world peace. We shall pray together, reflect together and then draw up a paper and launch a global appeal in the form of a spiritual, human, universal Christian message, especially to the participants in the Geneva 2 Conference: that will be our way of participating in the Conference.
10- Through this letter and initiative, we should like to highlight especially the role of Syria’s Christians and Churches in working together for peace, reconciliation, love, forgiveness, compassion, affection, solidarity, mutual support… a better future for Syria and the region!
11- Finally, I should also like to address an appeal for prayer for the success of the vote on the new constitution in Egypt, which will be put to the vote on 15 January, just on the eve of Geneva 2. I think that the consent of Egyptians to this constitution would also be an historic event of considerable significance and have an impact on the peace process, freedom, democracy, citizenship, living together, mutual acceptance of one another, mutual respect, Muslim-Christian dialogue, prosperity and progress in all the Arab countries that we love.
Let us pray: God of Peace, Grant peace to our countries!
+Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Of Alexandria and of Jerusalem
